The Future Former Ambassador

The Dong-A Ilbo reports that Hong Seok-Hyun, the Korean Ambassador to the United States, will soon step down over his involvement in a campaign-finance scandal. He was already plagued by a previous tax conviction when he first started the job in February. That’s February of 2005.

Update: The Korea Herald explains why the (left-wing) Uri-led government was so quick to throw Amb. Hong out of the lifeboat: Hong was attempting to help funnel money to the (right-wing) Grand National Party, which narrowly lost the 2002 presidential election. Perhaps Uri’s thinking in appointing Hong was that he would have more credibility and connections with U.S. officials. Recent evidence suggests that whatever Hong brought to the job, it wasn’t enough . . . not from Day One (more).